


local yarn shop

by CaptainDog



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Trans Luke Skywalker, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-29 23:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15739929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainDog/pseuds/CaptainDog
Summary: Chewie's sick, which means Han's on duty for picking up yarn for him from the local shop. And now he's gonna have to find an excuse to come back.





	local yarn shop

**Author's Note:**

> This was an idea I had a while back, probably while daydreaming on a slow day at work. The prompt for the first day of @skysolofest was the perfect excuse to finish it up. It's totally self-indulgent fantasy, and I've never had the opportunity to flirt with a Harrison Ford lookalike who might have come into my shop.
> 
> Not beta'd, and also I'm currently on a bunch of painkillers so my apologies if there are mistakes

Luke is such a useless gay and in this moment, he absolutely knows it. He’s supposed to greet every customer as they come in. Ask what their project is, or where they’re from, whether they’ve been here before. It opens up conversation that can help him sell stuff and help customers leave happy. Normally, Luke’s great at it. He’s got the right kind of friendly, cheerful personality that has people feeling welcome as they come into the shop.

 

But this time, Luke totally freezes. And his manager isn’t even in the room to glare until he does his job. So he basically just goes still and watches. He’s totally not hiding behind a tall shelf. 

 

At a glance, it’s easy to see that the man that walks in is not a knitter. Or crocheter, or any other fiber artist, for that matter. He looks a little lost, for one thing, like he’s stumbled in here while looking for a hardware store. He’s holding a piece of paper and squinting at it. 

 

He’s also stunningly gorgeous in an outdoorsman-with-a-badass-streak kind of way.

 

The paper is likely a request from his wife or girlfriend. Hell, Luke might even know her as a regular. It’s even possible she’s in one of the knitting groups that meet here. 

 

“Uh...hello? Anybody here?”

 

The man’s voice is deep. Luke spends a moment comparing it to salted caramel before he remembers that he does in fact have a job to do. 

 

“Hi there,” he says, too brightly and popping out from behind his shelf. The man takes a step back, startled by his sudden appearance. 

 

“Is there anything I can help you find today?” Luke’s cheeks are warm, but he plows ahead. 

 

“Um...yeah. My buddy’s really into this stuff. But he’s been sick, so he sent me to pick up some...yarn?”

 

Luke does not laugh at the hesitation before the word because he is a professional who’s heard it enough times from clueless husbands. He knows he shouldn’t stereotype, as a person who started this job with an “F” still on his driver’s license. But, well. There are trends among straight men. 

 

“Okay. What kinds of projects does he do?”

 

“Uhhh. I dunno. Hats and stuff, I guess. He stopped giving me things after I put some socks through the wash. Socks! You should be able to was those.”

 

Luke can’t help a light chuckle. “They felted, huh?”

 

“Yeah, all shrunken and tight.”

 

“Yep.” Luke nods. 

 

“Why would you make socks you can’t wash?”

 

Luke almost opens his mouth to begin an enthusiastic explanation about wool, superwash wool, and felting, but manages to stop himself. This guy probably wouldn’t appreciate an info dump about a craft he doesn’t do. 

 

“Hand knits need a little more care than store-bought stuff. But they’re worth it! So, did your friend give you any idea what kind of yarn he’d like?”

 

The man shrugs helplessly. “He gave me a list, but it’s not very specific. I don’t know what any of it means.”

 

He holds out the paper to Luke, who takes it. Luke nods as he scans it. 

 

“He’s a fan of the bulky stuff, I see. That’s good when you’re sick. Instant gratification.” 

 

He smiles and gestures for the man to follow him to a corner of the store. “This is what he’s looking for. You’d probably be a better judge of color, but anything in this column-” Luke gestures to a column of shelves, practically bursting with fluffy yarn “-will do the trick.” 

 

The man’s still looking uncertain. He leans forward to examine a skein, but he keeps his hands to his sides. Luke chuckles. “It’s not gonna break. In fact, better to touch it. That way you can feel how soft it is.” 

 

The man offers him a sheepish smile and reaches out to pet one of the skeins. His eyes open just a little wider. “So this is...just wool?”

 

“Now, now. Nothing’s  _ just _ anything,” Luke wags a finger. He knows he’s being a little more camp than he needs to. It delights the older ladies who frequent the shop; they think he’s  _ adorable _ . “This is superfine merino, blended with baby alpaca. It’s about as soft as you get without breaking into cashmere territory. Which is a lot more expensive.” 

 

The man glances at the price tag. He frowns. “This is expensive enough.”

 

“I know, it’s not what everyone’s used to. But trust me, if your friend knits with this stuff, he won’t appreciate going back to acrylic.” 

 

The man shrugs. He looks at the shelves for a second, and then grabs two skeins in a deminy blue. “Is this enough to...do something with?”

 

Luke nods. “That should be enough for a hat, a cowl, maybe some chunky mittens. You’d want a third for a properly long scarf.” 

 

The man considers, and takes a third. “Okay. I think I’m all set.” Luke smiles. Not just because of the sale he’s made, but because he knows how nice it is to receive a gift like this. Lucky friend. 

 

Luke leads him to the checkout counter. He rings up the yarn, takes the man’s credit card. He sneaks  glance, just to get his name.  _ Han Solo _ .  _ Han. _

 

As he bags up the yarn, he asks, “So, have you ever thought about learning to knit?”

 

Han looks a little like a deer in headlights. “God, no. I wouldn’t...Chewie’s tried teaching me a couple of times, but I just can’t figure it out.” 

 

“Aww. Well, if you ever change your mind, we give lessons and offer help.” 

 

“Thanks. I’ll keep it in mind.” 

 

“You have a nice day, now!”

 

“You too.” 

 

The man disappears out the door, and Luke has to brace himself against the counter and just breathe for a minute. He doubts he’ll see Han again, except for maybe in his daydreams. 

 

-

 

Luke’s looking down his checklist for the day - he needs to redo the display in the entryway, and he’s teaching a beginner class today - when the sound of knuckles rapping on the countertop startles him. He reddens, embarrassed that he didn’t even notice a customer coming in. 

 

“Sorry, yes, how can I help you?”

 

It’s been over a month since he saw Han, so it takes him a second to realize who it is. The man’s standing there with a crooked smile, a five o’clock shadow, and a blue hand-knit scarf. Luke can’t help grinning at him. 

 

“Hello, you. I see you got a present out of your friend after all.” He gestures to the scarf. 

 

“I’m amazed you remember.” 

 

Luke just shrugs. He’s not about to admit that he remembers because the guy is smoking hot. 

 

“He made me promise not to put it in the washing machine, and I needed a scarf anyway.”

 

“Well, it looks great! So, what can I help you with today? Picking something up for your friend?”

 

“Actually...I uh. I signed up for the beginning class today. I know I’m early, but I still gotta get supplies.”

 

“Oh!” Luke double checks his class list. He can’t believe he didn’t notice the name there before. He checks it off. “Yep, you’re the first one here. Only two others in class, so we’ll get some more one-on-one.” Even though it’s not as good for business, Luke actually prefers the smaller classes. It’s easier to give each student the attention they need with a lot less pressure. 

 

He steps from behind the desk and beckons for Han to follow.

 

“So you’re Luke? The teacher?”

 

“That’s me,” Luke says, realizing he never gave his name. Or asked for Han’s, for that matter. He leads Han over to the same corner he showed him the last time, but gestures to another column. “You get to pick your color. Just one skein. I’ve got everything else you’ll need in a kit, and I’ll show you how to wind the yarn into a cake.”

 

Han looks out of his depth. “A...cake?”

 

“Yep. If it’s wound by hand it’s a ball, but on the winder, it’s a cake.” 

 

Han gives him a skeptical look, but doesn’t question any further. Luke takes a chance and pats his arm. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you through it all. For now, just pick a color you like.” He can see that Han’s eying a deep navy skein, and jumps in. “I do recommend lighter colors, or the variegated ones. It’s harder to see what you’re doing with the dark ones, and that’s really rough when you’re learning.” 

 

He leaves Han to decide and does a lap around the store to check in with other customers. His stomach feels tight. He’s going to have to teach this tall, handsome, manly man how to  _ knit _ . Which means sitting close to him, possibly touching his hands. All the while being his twink-ass self. It’s a dream and a nightmare all rolled up in one. 

 

A few minutes later, Han approaches him with a skein of doe brown yarn. Luke’s pleased; it’ll look lovely with Han’s eyes. He gets him set up with needles, a darning needle, a stitch marker, and a little sample packet of wool-safe soap. He then leads him over to the winder. He doesn’t miss the way Han’s eyes lock onto the device with interest. 

 

“So, this is our winder setup.” Guessing that Han doesn’t know the terminology, he gives a little lesson. “This is the swift. See how the yarn is a big loop? This holds it up and turns while we wind it here.” 

 

“Do people have this kind of thing in their houses? Chewie doesn’t.” 

 

Luke’s delighted that he doesn’t have to ask who Chewie is. Chewbacca is a regular customer, one who seems gruff but has taken a liking to Luke. It’s nice to know that this is Han’s friend. “Not really. Lots of people have more portable versions, made of plastic or metal. We just use it so much, we got this custom setup.”

 

Han hums and looks it over. “Mind if I take some photos of it?”

 

“Uh...no, not at all. Go for it.” 

 

He shows Han how to wind from the swift, pausing every time Han wants to take a photo on his phone. Luke doesn’t get a chance to ask why; he has to help a few more customers that trickle in. Which is good, he tells himself. He can’t give one person all his attention. He’s still got a job to do. 

 

Class time comes, and a coworker takes over the sales floor while Luke leads Han and the two other students up to a little attic room that serves as a classroom. He’s already got coffee, water, and brownies set out for everyone. It’s these little touches, Luke thinks, that make local yarn shops so special. 

 

Luke kind of expects Han to be terrible, based on what he’d told him before. And he’s not great at first, but nobody is. And he’s the only one of the three students who immediately knows how to make a slip knot when Luke begins. 

 

He holds his needles awkwardly, like alien objects that might attack him if he moves wrong. It’s endearing. He’s surprisingly gentle and careful with the knitting for a man who proves to be sarcastic and quick-witted the moment he’s with more than one other person. In the quieter moments of the class, he trades barbed jokes with the woman and her elderly mother who’re taking the class together. He has a warm laugh. He’s methodical, listening carefully and doing his best to make his stitches as technically perfect as possible. Luke gets the sense that he’s good at math. 

 

By the end of the class, Han’s got a respectable start to a cowl. He hangs back, sending a little thrill through Luke as he cleans up after the class. 

 

“You should have no trouble finishing that up, if you’ve got Chewie to help you,” Luke says brightly. 

 

“Oh, he’s sworn to never try teaching me again.”

 

“Oh. Well, you can always stop in and any of our employees can help-”

 

Han steps closer, a little too close for usual conversation. He smells like sawdust and wood polish and soap. 

 

“Actually, I was wondering if you give private lessons at all.”

 

“Um. Well, I never have, so I don’t really have rates…” 

 

“Maybe I can pay you with coffee? Dinner?” 

 

“You...oh.  _ Oh _ !” 

 

Han grins that crooked grin that Luke’s already growing to love. “Don’t get me wrong, I do want to keep going with all this knitting stuff. But this is really just an excuse.” 

 

“Hmph. You really found a way to get free knitting lessons out of me, huh?”

 

“You can charge me, if you want.” 

 

“Only if dinner doesn’t work out.” Luke’s pretty sure it will, though. 


End file.
